China is firmly opposed to Pentagon report on Chinese military

BEIJING, June 8 (ChinaMil) -- China is firmly opposed to the annual US Defense Department report that hyped the “China threat theory”, said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on Wednesday.

The annual report “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2017” made irresponsible remarks on China's national defense development and cross-Strait relations and the situation in the Taiwan Strait, Wu said.

“China unswervingly follows a path of peaceful development and a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. Chinese armed forces have actively performed peacekeeping, escort, disaster relief and other overseas military missions in recent years, providing more public safety products and receiving wide praise from the international community,” said Wu.

China does not engage in military expansion and seek the spheres of influence, and China is always a firm force in safeguarding world peace, Wu stressed.

Wu added that China firmly safeguards the national sovereignty and security and the regional peace and stability on issues of the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

Wu pointed out that the US has strengthened the military deployment in the region and has frequently sent aircraft and warships to implement close-in reconnaissance, resulting in regional tensions.

China's defense spending has always been open and transparent and the Chinese military reform, weapons and equipment development as well as cyberspace defense capacity building are justified. Wu said that the US report's accusations are purely speculations.

The US report uses a special chapter to talk about the China-US military relations. Wu said that the development of healthy and stable relations between the two armed forces is favorable for the common interests of both sides and therefore requires the joint efforts of both sides.

“We hope that the US will treat China's national defense and military building objectively, meet each other halfway, earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and contribute to the development of bilateral military relations,” Wu noted.